Sidewalk Talk: Custom Signs Speak to Local Traffic

Looking for a way to speak to potential customers?

Whether you own a jewelry store, massage parlor, consignment shop, or winery, sandwich board signs are a great way to speak to the locals! These sandwich boards (or "A-frames" as they are often called) brilliantly allow you to showcase signs that target your ideal customers and invite them into your location. The key, though, is being intentional with your design. Say the right things to the right people at the right time and it will be hard for you to control your checkout lines!

When it comes to "sidewalk talk", here are the 4 things your sandwich board signs should say:

• Who you are – When designing outdoor signage, big or small, you want to make sure you brand it! Each of your sandwich board inserts should have your company name and/or logo. Whether it is an aluminum or coroplast insert or any material with a dry erase laminate, make sure it has your signature on it! Never miss an opportunity to showcase your brand and tell your passerbys who you are (and where you're located!). Use your signature colors, fonts, and graphics – it creates brand awareness and recognition to the local traffic driving and walking by!
• Who you're targeting - You don't have to blatantly pinpoint a group of people, but you can certainly be crafty and target with your graphics! If you're targeting professional women, use a graphic of a woman in a suit. Does your ideal client have a sweet tooth? Use a graphic of your tastiest dessert to draw them in! Use words and pictures that appeal to your target market. Don't leave it up to chance because your marketing will get lost in the crowds. Be specific on your sandwich board signs. Draw the passerbys you want to serve out of the crowd!
• What's on offer – You definitely want your sandwich board signs to say what you're offering! Perhaps it's a 20% sale on diamond studs, or a free cup of joe with the purchase of a breakfast danish. Maybe you're marketing 30-minute lunch-hour massages. Whatever incentive you can use to draw your ideal customers in, say it loud and clear! Keep the wording brief, and make it big and bold! When you pair the perfect graphics with the perfect offer, you strike gold – it's marketing magic!
• How to get it – Your entire sandwich signs would be for naught if you don't issue a "call to action" to your passerbys. What would they have to do to take advantage of what's on offer? Would you like them to "Come inside" or "Set an appointment"? Perhaps, you want them to "Order here". Make sure your directives are clear on your sidewalk signs. You want those perfect clients passing by to read them and respond…but you must tell them how!

Sandwich board signs are very effective at drawing in the crowds Рthat's why restaurants and caf̩s use them so often. But, you can use them for your business, as well. No matter what industry you are in, the more strategic you are with the verbiage and graphics on your sidewalk signs, the more effective your signs will be. Sidewalk signs are the perfect marketing tool to say the right things to the right people at the right time!